# 1979 NFL draft

The 1979 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
The Buffalo Bills held the first overall pick in the draft, acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in the trade which sent O. J. Simpson to his hometown team. The Bills' selection at No. 1, Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, refused to sign with the Bills and instead signed a lucrative deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

## Player selections

| = Pro Bowler | = Hall of Famer |
| * | = compensatory selection |
| † | = Pro Bowler |
| ‡ | = Hall of Famer |
Positions key :
| C | Center | CB | Cornerback | DB | Defensive back | DE | Defensive end |
| DL | Defensive lineman | DT | Defensive tackle | FB | Fullback | FS | Free safety |
| G | Guard | K | Kicker | KR | Kickoff returner | LB | Linebacker |
| LS | Long snapper | MLB | Middle linebacker | OT | Offensive tackle | OL | Offensive lineman |
| OLB | Outside linebacker | NT | Nose tackle | P | Punter | PR | Punt returner |
| QB | Quarterback | RS | Return specialist | RB | Running back | S | Safety |
| SS | Strong safety | TE | Tight end | WR | Wide receiver |
| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Buffalo Bills | Tom Cousineau | LB | Ohio State | Big Ten | from San Francisco |
| 1 | 2 | Kansas City Chiefs | Mike Bell | DE | Colorado State | WAC | |
| 1 | 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | Jack Thompson | QB | Washington State | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | 4 | Chicago Bears | Dan Hampton$^‡$$^†$ | DT | Arkansas | SWC | from Tampa Bay |
| 1 | 5 | Buffalo Bills | Jerry Butler $^†$ | WR | Clemson | ACC | |
| 1 | 6 | Baltimore Colts | Barry Krauss | LB | Alabama | SEC | |
| 1 | 7 | New York Giants | Phil Simms $^†$ | QB | Morehead State | OVC | |
| 1 | 8 | St. Louis Cardinals | Ottis Anderson $^†$ | RB | Miami (FL) | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 1 | 9 | Chicago Bears | Al Harris | DE | Arizona State | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | 10 | Detroit Lions | Keith Dorney $^†$ | OT | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 1 | 11 | New Orleans Saints | Russell Erxleben | K | Texas | SWC | |
| 1 | 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | Charles Alexander | RB | LSU | SEC | from Washington |
| 1 | 13 | San Diego Chargers | Kellen Winslow$^‡$$^†$ | TE | Missouri | Big Eight | from Cleveland |
| 1 | 14 | New York Jets | Marty Lyons | DE | Alabama | SEC | |
| 1 | 15 | Green Bay Packers | Eddie Lee Ivery | RB | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 1 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings | Ted Brown | RB | NC State | ACC | |
| 1 | 17 | Atlanta Falcons | Don Smith | DE | Miami (FL) | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 1 | 18 | Seattle Seahawks | Manu Tuiasosopo | DT | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | 19 | Los Angeles Rams | George Andrews | LB | Nebraska | Big Eight | from Oakland |
| 1 | 20 | Cleveland Browns | Willis Adams | WR | Houston | SWC | from San Diego |
| 1 | 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jerry Robinson $^†$ | LB | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | 22 | Denver Broncos | Kelvin Clark | OT | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 1 | 23 | Kansas City Chiefs | Steve Fuller | QB | Clemson | ACC | from Houston |
| 1 | 24 | Miami Dolphins | Jon Giesler | OT | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 1 | 25 | New England Patriots | Rick Sanford | CB | South Carolina | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 1 | 26 | Los Angeles Rams | Kent Hill $^†$ | OT | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 1 | 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Robert Shaw | C | Tennessee | SEC | |
| 1 | 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Greg Hawthorne | RB | Baylor | SWC | |
| 2 | 29 | San Francisco 49ers | James Owens | WR | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 30 | Cincinnati Bengals | Dan Ross $^†$ | TE | Northeastern | Ind. (I-AA) | |
| 2 | 31 | Houston Oilers | Mike Stensrud | DT | Iowa State | Big Eight | from Kansas City |
| 2 | 32 | Buffalo Bills | Fred Smerlas $^†$ | DT | Boston College | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 33 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Greg Roberts | OG | Oklahoma | Big Eight | from Baltimore |
| 2 | 34 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Gordon Jones | WR | Pittsburgh | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 35 | St. Louis Cardinals | Theotis Brown | RB | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 36 | New York Giants | Earnest Gray | WR | Memphis State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 37 | Detroit Lions | Ken Fantetti | LB | Wyoming | WAC | |
| 2 | 38 | New Orleans Saints | Reggie Mathis | LB | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 2 | 39 | Chicago Bears | Rickey Watts | WR | Tulsa | MVC | |
| 2 | 40 | Cleveland Browns | Lawrence Johnson | CB | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 41 | New York Jets | Mark Gastineau $^†$ | DE | East Central | OIC | |
| 2 | 42 | Oakland Raiders | Willie Jones | DE | Florida State | Ind. (I-A) | from Washington via St. Louis |
| 2 | 43 | Minnesota Vikings | Dave Huffman | C | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 44 | Green Bay Packers | Steve Atkins | RB | Maryland | ACC | |
| 2 | 45 | Seattle Seahawks | Joe Norman | LB | Indiana | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 46 | St. Louis Cardinals | Calvin Favron | LB | Southeastern Louisiana | Gulf South | from Oakland |
| 2 | 47 | Cleveland Browns | Sam Claphan | OT | Oklahoma | Big Eight | from San Diego |
| 2 | 48 | Philadelphia Eagles | Petey Perot | OG | Northwestern State | Ind. (I-AA) | from San Diego |
| 2 | 49 | Atlanta Falcons | Pat Howell | OG | USC | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 50 | Houston Oilers | Jesse Baker | DE | Jacksonville State | Gulf South | |
| 2 | 51 | Buffalo Bills | Jim Haslett | LB | IUP | PSAC | from Denver |
| 2 | 52 | New England Patriots | Bob Golic $^†$ | DT | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 53 | Miami Dolphins | Jeff Toews | OT | Washington | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 54 | Los Angeles Rams | Eddie Hill | RB | Memphis State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 2 | 55 | Dallas Cowboys | Aaron Mitchell | CB | UNLV | Ind. | |
| 2 | 56 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Zack Valentine | LB | East Carolina | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 3 | 57 | Seattle Seahawks | Michael Jackson | LB | Washington | Pac-10 | from San Francisco |
| 3 | 58 | Los Angeles Rams | Moore, JeffJeff Moore | WR | Tennessee | SEC | from Kansas City |
| 3 | 59 | Cincinnati Bengals | Barney Cotton | OG | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 3 | 60 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jerry Eckwood | RB | Arkansas | SWC | from Baltimore |
| 3 | 61 | Miami Dolphins | Tony Nathan | RB | Alabama | SEC | |
| 3 | 62 | Buffalo Bills | Jon Borchardt | OT | Montana State | Big Sky | |
| 3 | 63 | Miami Dolphins | Mel Land | LB | Michigan State | Big Ten | from N. Y. Giants |
| 3 | 64 | St. Louis Cardinals | Joe Bostic | OT | Clemson | ACC | |
| 3 | 65 | Miami Dolphins | Ronnie Lee | TE | Baylor | SWC | from New Orleans |
| 3 | 66 | Chicago Bears | Willie McClendon | RB | Georgia | SEC | |
| 3 | 67 | Detroit Lions | Bo Robinson | RB | West Texas State | MVC | |
| 3 | 68 | New York Jets | Donald Dykes | CB | Southeastern Louisiana | Gulf South | |
| 3 | 69 | Baltimore Colts | Kim Anderson | S | Arizona State | Pac-10 | from Washington via Houston |
| 3 | 70 | Cleveland Browns | James Ramey | DE | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 3 | 71 | Green Bay Packers | Charles Johnson | DT | Maryland | ACC | |
| 3 | 72 | Houston Oilers | Kenny King $^†$ | RB | Oklahoma | Big Eight | from Oakland via Baltimore |
| 3 | 73 | San Diego Chargers | Clifford Thrift | LB | East Central | OIC | |
| 3 | 74 | Philadelphia Eagles | Tony Franklin $^†$ | K | Texas A&M | SWC | |
| 3 | 75 | Atlanta Falcons | James Mayberry | RB | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 3 | 76 | Dallas Cowboys | Doug Cosbie $^†$ | TE | Santa Clara | — | from Seattle |
| 3 | 77 | Denver Broncos | Bruce Radford | DE | Grambling State | SWAC | |
| 3 | 78 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Lewis, ReginaldReginald Lewis | DE | North Texas | Ind. | from Houston |
| 3 | 79 | Atlanta Falcons | William Andrews $^†$ | RB | Auburn | SEC | from Miami |
| 3 | 80 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Rick Berns | RB | Nebraska | Big Eight | from Los Angeles via Washington thorough Miami and Oakland |
| 3 | 81 | Los Angeles Rams | Mike Wellman | C | Kansas | Big Eight | from New England |
| 3 | 82 | San Francisco 49ers | Joe Montana$^‡$$^†$ | QB | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 3 | – | Pittsburgh Steelers | Selection forfeited when the team was found to have practiced with pads during an off-season period when pads were not allowed | Selection forfeited when the team was found to have practiced with pads during an off-season period when pads were not allowed | Selection forfeited when the team was found to have practiced with pads during an off-season period when pads were not allowed | Selection forfeited when the team was found to have practiced with pads during an off-season period when pads were not allowed | Selection forfeited when the team was found to have practiced with pads during an off-season period when pads were not allowed |
| 4 | 83 | Buffalo Bills | Ken Johnson | DE | Knoxville | SIAC | from San Francisco |
| 4 | 84 | Cincinnati Bengals | James White | DT | Albany State | SIAC | |
| 4 | 85 | Kansas City Chiefs | Frank Manumaleuga | LB | San Jose State | PCAA | |
| 4 | 86 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Russell Davis | RB | Michigan | Big Ten | from Tampa Bay via Detroit |
| 4 | 87 | Buffalo Bills | Jeff Nixon | S | Richmond | Ind. | |
| 4 | 88 | Detroit Lions | Ulysses Norris | TE | Georgia | SEC | from Baltimore |
| 4 | 89 | St. Louis Cardinals | Roy Green $^†$ | DB | Henderson State | Arkansas | |
| 4 | 90 | New York Giants | Phil Tabor | DE | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 4 | 91 | Cincinnati Bengals | Vaughn Lusby | CB | Arkansas | SWC | from Chicago |
| 4 | 92 | Detroit Lions | Jon Brooks | LB | Clemson | ACC | |
| 4 | 93 | New Orleans Saints | Jim Kovach | LB | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 4 | 94 | Philadelphia Eagles | Ben Cowins | RB | Arkansas | SWC | from Washington |
| 4 | 95 | Cleveland Browns | Matt Miller | OT | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 4 | 96 | New York Jets | Eric Cunningham | OG | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 4 | 97 | Minnesota Vikings | Steve Dils | QB | Stanford | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 98 | New York Jets | Johnny Lynn | CB | UCLA | Pac-10 | from Green Bay |
| 4 | 99 | Los Angeles Rams | Tucker, DerwinDerwin Tucker | DB | Illinois | Big Ten | from San Diego |
| 4 | 100 | Atlanta Falcons | Lynn Cain | RB | USC | Pac-10 | from Philadelphia |
| 4 | 101 | Atlanta Falcons | Charles Johnson | CB | Grambling State | SWAC | |
| 4 | 102 | Seattle Seahawks | Mark Bell | TE | Colorado State | WAC | |
| 4 | 103 | Washington Redskins | Don Warren | TE | San Diego State | WAC | from Oakland via Green Bay |
| 4 | 104 | San Diego Chargers | John Floyd | WR | Northeast Louisiana | Ind. (I-A) | from Houston |
| 4 | 105 | Denver Broncos | Charles Jefferson | DB | McNeese State | Southland | |
| 4 | 106 | New England Patriots | Eddie Hare | P | Tulsa | MVC | |
| 4 | 107 | Miami Dolphins | Steve Howell | RB | Baylor | SWC | |
| 4 | 108 | Los Angeles Rams | Jerry Wilkinson | DT | Oregon State | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 109 | Dallas Cowboys | Ralph DeLoach | DE | California | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 110 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Calvin Sweeney | WR | USC | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 111 | San Francisco 49ers | Tom Seabron | LB | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 112 | Kansas City Chiefs | Earl Gant | RB | Missouri | Big Eight | |
| 5 | 113 | Cincinnati Bengals | Casey Merrill | DE | UC Davis | FWC | |
| 5 | 114 | Buffalo Bills | Rod Kush | S | Nebraska–Omaha | NCC | |
| 5 | 115 | Baltimore Colts | Larry Braziel | CB | USC | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 116 | Buffalo Bills | Dan Manucci | QB | Kansas State | Big Eight | from Tampa Bay via Seattle |
| 5 | 117 | New York Giants | Cleveland Jackson | TE | UNLV | Ind. | |
| 5 | 118 | St. Louis Cardinals | Steve Henry | DB | Emporia State | — | |
| 5 | 119 | San Francisco 49ers | Jerry Aldridge | RB | Angelo State | LSC | from Detroit |
| 5 | 120 | New Orleans Saints | Harlan Huckleby | RB | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 121 | Dallas Cowboys | Hukill, BobBob Hukill | OG | North Carolina | ACC | from Chicago |
| 5 | 122 | Los Angeles Rams | Victor Hicks | TE | Oklahoma | Big Eight | from Cleveland |
| 5 | 123 | New York Jets | Kelly Kirchbaum | LB | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 5 | 124 | Cleveland Browns | Rich Dimler | DT | USC | Pac-10 | from Washington via Los Angeles |
| 5 | 125 | New York Jets | Stan Blinka | LB | Sam Houston | LSC | from Green Bay |
| 5 | 126 | Philadelphia Eagles | Scott Fitzkee | WR | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 5 | 127 | Atlanta Falcons | Mike Zele | DT | Kent State | MAC | |
| 5 | 128 | Dallas Cowboys | Curtis Anderson | DE | Central State (OH) | Ind. (NAIA) | |
| 5 | 129 | Minnesota Vikings | Jerry Meter | LB | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 130 | St. Louis Cardinals | Mark Bell | WR | Colorado State | WAC | from Oakland |
| 5 | 131 | Detroit Lions | Brown, WaltWalt Brown | C | Pittsburgh | Ind. (I-A) | from San Diego via Los Angeles |
| 5 | 132 | Denver Broncos | Rick Leach | QB | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 133 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chuck Fusina | QB | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | from Houston |
| 5 | 134 | Miami Dolphins | Don Bessillieu | S | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 5 | 135 | New England Patriots | John Zamberlin | LB | Pacific Lutheran | N/A | |
| 5 | 136 | Dallas Cowboys | Ron Springs | RB | Ohio State | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 137 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Dwaine Board | DE | North Carolina A&T | MEAC | |
| 6 | 138 | San Francisco 49ers | Ruben Vaughan | DT | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 6 | 139 | Cincinnati Bengals | Steve Kreider | WR | Lehigh | Ind. (I-AA) | |
| 6 | 140 | Kansas City Chiefs | Gaines, SpiderSpider Gaines | WR | Washington | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 141 | Buffalo Bills | Burrow, MikeMike Burrow | OG | Auburn | SEC | from Baltimore |
| 6 | 142 | Oakland Raiders | Ira Matthews | RB | Wisconsin | Big Ten | from Tampa Bay |
| 6 | 143 | Houston Oilers | Daryl Hunt | LB | Oklahoma | Big Eight | from Buffalo |
| 6 | 144 | St. Louis Cardinals | Thomas Lott | RB | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 6 | 145 | New York Giants | Bob Torrey | RB | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 6 | 146 | New Orleans Saints | Ricky Ray | DB | Norfolk State | CIAA | |
| 6 | 147 | Chicago Bears | John Sullivan | LB | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 148 | Denver Broncos | Jeff McIntyre | LB | Arizona State | Pac-10 | from Detroit |
| 6 | 149 | New York Jets | Dufek, BillBill Dufek | OG | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 150 | Baltimore Colts | Moore, JimJim Moore | OT | Ohio State | Big Ten | from Washington |
| 6 | 151 | Cleveland Browns | Clinton Burrell | DB | LSU | SEC | |
| 6 | 152 | Minnesota Vikings | Joe Senser $^†$ | TE | West Chester | PSAC | |
| 6 | 153 | Green Bay Packers | Dave Simmons | LB | North Carolina | ACC | |
| 6 | 154 | Atlanta Falcons | Mike Moroski | QB | UC Davis | FWC | |
| 6 | 155 | Dallas Cowboys | Lavender, TimTim Lavender | DB | USC | Pac-10 | from Seattle |
| 6 | 156 | Oakland Raiders | Henry Williams | CB | San Diego State | WAC | |
| 6 | 157 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Bill Murrell | TE | Winston-Salem State | CIAA | from San Diego |
| 6 | 158 | New York Giants | Eddie Hicks | RB | East Carolina | Ind. (I-A) | from Philadelphia |
| 6 | 159 | Houston Oilers | Mike Murphy | LB | SW Missouri State | MIAA | |
| 6 | 160 | Dallas Cowboys | Salzano, MikeMike Salzano | OG | North Carolina | ACC | from Denver |
| 6 | 161 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Dwayne Woodruff | CB | Louisville | Ind. (I-A) | from New England |
| 6 | 162 | Miami Dolphins | Lindquist, SteveSteve Lindquist | OG | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 6 | 163 | Cleveland Browns | Ronan, JimJim Ronan | DT | Minnesota | Big Ten | from Los Angeles |
| 6 | 164 | Dallas Cowboys | Chris DeFrance | WR | Arizona State | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 165 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Matt Bahr | K | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 7 | 166 | San Francisco 49ers | Phil Francis | RB | Stanford | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 167 | Kansas City Chiefs | Ken Kremer | DE | Ball State | MAC | |
| 7 | 168 | Cincinnati Bengals | Max Montoya $^†$ | OG | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 169 | Seattle Seahawks | Larry Polowski | LB | Boise State | Big Sky | from Tampa Bay via Washington |
| 7 | 170 | Buffalo Bills | Tom Mullady | TE | Rhodes | CAC | |
| 7 | 171 | Houston Oilers | Ries, TimTim Ries | DB | SW Missouri State | MIAA | from Baltimore |
| 7 | 172 | New York Giants | Steve Alvers | TE | Miami (FL) | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 7 | 173 | St. Louis Cardinals | Kirk Gibson | WR | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 174 | Chicago Bears | Lee Kunz | LB | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 7 | 175 | Oakland Raiders | Matia, JackJack Matia | OT | Drake | MVC | from Detroit via Cleveland |
| 7 | 176 | New Orleans Saints | Stan Sytsma | LB | Minnesota | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 177 | New England Patriots | Judson Flint | FS | Memphis State | Ind. (I-A) | from Washington |
| 7 | 178 | Philadelphia Eagles | Swafford, DonDon Swafford | OT | Florida | SEC | from Cleveland |
| 7 | 179 | New York Jets | King, EmmettEmmett King | RB | Houston | SWC | |
| 7 | 180 | Green Bay Packers | Henry Monroe | DB | Mississippi State | SEC | |
| 7 | 181 | Minnesota Vikings | Bob Winkel | DT | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 7 | 182 | Washington Redskins | Rich Milot | LB | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | from Seattle |
| 7 | 183 | Cleveland Browns | Cody Risien $^†$ | OT | Texas A&M | SWC | from Oakland |
| 7 | 184 | Green Bay Packers | Rich Wingo | LB | Alabama | SEC | from San Diego |
| 7 | 185 | Philadelphia Eagles | Bunche, CurtisCurtis Bunche | DE | Albany State | SIAC | |
| 7 | 186 | Atlanta Falcons | Westlund, RogerRoger Westlund | OT | Washington | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 187 | New York Jets | Brown, KeithKeith Brown | DB | Minnesota | Big Ten | from Houston |
| 7 | 188 | Denver Broncos | Luke Prestridge $^†$ | P | Baylor | SWC | |
| 7 | 189 | Miami Dolphins | Uwe von Schamann | K | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 7 | 190 | Los Angeles Rams | Jeff Delaney | S | Pittsburgh | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 7 | 191 | Dallas Cowboys | Fitzpatrick, GregGreg Fitzpatrick | LB | Youngstown State | MCAA | |
| 7 | 192 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Bruce Kimball | OG | UMass | Yankee | |
| 8 | 193 | Green Bay Packers | Ron Cassidy | WR | Utah State | Big West | from San Francisco |
| 8 | 194 | Cincinnati Bengals | Howie Kurnick | LB | Cincinnati | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 8 | 195 | Kansas City Chiefs | Mike Williams | RB | New Mexico | WAC | |
| 8 | 196 | Philadelphia Eagles | Chuck Correal | C | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | from Buffalo |
| 8 | 197 | Baltimore Colts | Steve Heimkreiter | LB | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 8 | 198 | New York Jets | Marshall Harris | DT | TCU | SWC | from Tampa Bay |
| 8 | 199 | St. Louis Cardinals | Miller, LarryLarry Miller | LB | BYU | WAC | |
| 8 | 200 | New York Giants | Perry, D. K.D. K. Perry | DB | SMU | SWC | |
| 8 | 201 | New York Giants | Roy Simmons | OG | Georgia Tech | Ind. | from Detroit |
| 8 | 202 | New Orleans Saints | Panfil, DougDoug Panfil | OG | Tulsa | MVC | |
| 8 | 203 | Chicago Bears | Moss, RickRick Moss | DB | Purdue | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 204 | Cleveland Browns | Perkow, KentKent Perkow | DE | San Diego State | WAC | |
| 8 | 205 | New York Jets | Beamon, WillieWillie Beamon | LB | Boise State | Big Sky | |
| 8 | 206 | Miami Dolphins | Jeff Groth | WR | Bowling Green | MAC | from Washington |
| 8 | 207 | Baltimore Colts | Nesby Glasgow | S | Washington | Pac-10 | from Minnesota |
| 8 | 208 | Green Bay Packers | Rick Partridge | P | Utah | WAC | |
| 8 | 209 | Oakland Raiders | Hawkins, RobertRobert Hawkins | RB | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 8 | 210 | San Diego Chargers | Wilbert Haslip | RB | Hawaii | Ind. | |
| 8 | 211 | Philadelphia Eagles | Max Runager | P | South Carolina | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 8 | 212 | Atlanta Falcons | Miller, KeithKeith Miller | LB | N.E. Oklahoma | N/A | |
| 8 | 213 | Detroit Lions | John Mohring | LB | C. W. Post | N/A | from Seattle |
| 8 | 214 | Houston Oilers | Carter Hartwig | CB | USC | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 215 | Miami Dolphins | Glenn Blackwood | S | Texas | SWC | from Denver |
| 8 | 216 | New England Patriots | Randy Love | RB | Houston | SWC | |
| 8 | 217 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Gene Sanders | DT | Texas A&M | SWC | from Miami |
| 8 | 218 | Kansas City Chiefs | Brewer, RobertRobert Brewer | OG | Temple | Ind. (I-A) | from Los Angeles via St. Louis |
| 8 | 219 | Dallas Cowboys | Bruce Thornton | DT | Illinois | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 220 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Tom Graves | LB | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 221 | San Francisco 49ers | Hamilton, SteveSteve Hamilton | DT | Missouri | Big Eight | |
| 9 | 222 | Kansas City Chiefs | Folston, JamesJames Folston | TE | Cameron | Ind. (NAIA) | |
| 9 | 223 | Cincinnati Bengals | Scott Burk | S | Oklahoma State | Big Eight | |
| 9 | 224 | Baltimore Colts | Henderson, RussRuss Henderson | P | Virginia | ACC | |
| 9 | 225 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Henry Vereen | WR | UNLV | Ind. | |
| 9 | 226 | Buffalo Bills | Baker, KevenKeven Baker | DE | William Penn | IIAC | |
| 9 | 227 | New York Giants | Tom Rusk | LB | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 228 | St. Louis Cardinals | Bob Rozier | DE | California | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 229 | Kansas City Chiefs | Robinson, JoeJoe Robinson | OT | Ohio State | Big Ten | from New Orleans |
| 9 | 230 | Chicago Bears | Jerome Heavens | RB | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 9 | 231 | Detroit Lions | Jeff Komlo | QB | Delaware | Ind. (Div. II) | |
| 9 | 232 | New York Jets | Sprattler, GordyGordy Sprattler | RB | North Dakota State | NCC | |
| 9 | 233 | Washington Redskins | Kris Haines | WR | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 9 | 234 | Cleveland Browns | Carl McGee | LB | Duke | ACC | |
| 9 | 235 | Green Bay Packers | John Thompson | TE | Utah State | Big West | |
| 9 | 236 | Minnesota Vikings | Diggs, BillyBilly Diggs | WR | Winston-Salem State | CIAA | |
| 9 | 237 | San Diego Chargers | Alvin Garrett | WR | Angelo State | LSC | |
| 9 | 238 | Oakland Raiders | Jim Rourke | OT | Boston College | Ind. (I-A) | from Philadelphia |
| 9 | 239 | Atlanta Falcons | Dave Parkin | FS | Utah State | Big West | |
| 9 | 240 | Seattle Seahawks | Tate, EzraEzra Tate | RB | Mississippi College | Gulf South | |
| 9 | 241 | Cleveland Browns | Curtis Weathers | TE | Ole Miss | SEC | from Oakland |
| 9 | 242 | Denver Broncos | Taylor, CharlieCharlie Taylor | WR | Rice | SWC | |
| 9 | 243 | Houston Oilers | Richard Ellender | WR | McNeese State | Southland | |
| 9 | 244 | Miami Dolphins | Jeff Weston | DT | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 9 | 245 | New England Patriots | John Spagnola | TE | Yale | Ivy | |
| 9 | 246 | Los Angeles Rams | Jeff Rutledge | QB | Alabama | SEC | |
| 9 | 247 | Dallas Cowboys | Garry Cobb | LB | USC | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 248 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kirk, RickRick Kirk | DE | Denison | N/A | |
| 10 | 249 | San Francisco 49ers | Dwight Clark $^†$ | WR | Clemson | ACC | |
| 10 | 250 | Cincinnati Bengals | Nathan Poole | RB | Louisville | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 10 | 251 | Kansas City Chiefs | DuPree, MikeMike DuPree | LB | Florida | SEC | |
| 10 | 252 | San Francisco 49ers | Howard Ballage | DB | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 10 | 253 | Buffalo Bills | Dave Marler | QB | Mississippi State | SEC | |
| 10 | 254 | Baltimore Colts | Stephens, SteveSteve Stephens | TE | Oklahoma State | Big Eight | |
| 10 | 255 | St. Louis Cardinals | Holloway, JerryJerry Holloway | TE | Western Illinois | MCAA | |
| 10 | 256 | New York Giants | Dan Fowler | OG | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 10 | 257 | Chicago Bears | Restic, JoeJoe Restic | DB | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 10 | 258 | Miami Dolphins | Stanton, JeromeJerome Stanton | DB | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 259 | Oakland Raiders | Smith, RickyRicky Smith | DB | Tulane | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 10 | 260 | Kansas City Chiefs | Gerald Jackson | DB | Mississippi State | SEC | |
| 10 | 261 | Cleveland Browns | John Smith | WR | Tennessee State | Ind. | |
| 10 | 262 | New York Jets | Sybeldon, SteveSteve Sybeldon | OT | North Dakota | NCC | |
| 10 | 263 | New York Jets | Ed McGlasson | C | Youngstown State | MCAA | |
| 10 | 264 | Green Bay Packers | Frank Lockett | WR | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 10 | 265 | San Diego Chargers | Petruccio, TonyTony Petruccio | DT | Penn State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 10 | 266 | Atlanta Falcons | Bruce Beekley | LB | Oregon | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 267 | Seattle Seahawks | Robert Hardy | DT | Jackson State | SWAC | |
| 10 | 268 | Kansas City Chiefs | Willis, LarryLarry Willis | WR | Alcorn State | SWAC | |
| 10 | 269 | San Diego Chargers | Al Green | DB | LSU | SEC | |
| 10 | 270 | New England Patriots | Martin Cox | WR | Vanderbilt | SEC | |
| 10 | 271 | New England Patriots | Allan Clark | RB | Northern Arizona | Big Sky | |
| 10 | 272 | Miami Dolphins | Mike Kozlowski | RB | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 10 | 273 | Los Angeles Rams | Ebensberger, GradyGrady Ebensberger | DT | Houston | SWC | |
| 10 | 274 | Dallas Cowboys | Mike Calhoun | DT | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 10 | 275 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Thompson, TodTod Thompson | TE | BYU | WAC | |
| 11 | 276 | San Francisco 49ers | McBride, BillyBilly McBride | DB | Tennessee State | Ind. | |
| 11 | 277 | Kansas City Chiefs | Stan Rome | WR | Clemson | ACC | |
| 11 | 278 | Cincinnati Bengals | Ken Bungarda | DE | Missouri | Big Eight | |
| 11 | 279 | Buffalo Bills | Lawler, PaulPaul Lawler | DB | Colgate | Ind. | |
| 11 | 280 | Baltimore Colts | John Priestner | LB | Western Ontario | OUAA | |
| 11 | 281 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Rippentrop, BobBob Rippentrop | TE | Fresno State | PCAA | |
| 11 | 282 | New York Giants | Mince, MikeMike Mince | DB | Fresno State | PCAA | |
| 11 | 283 | St. Louis Cardinals | Henderson, NateNate Henderson | OT | Florida State | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 11 | 284 | New York Giants | Johnson, KenKen Johnson | RB | Miami (FL) | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 11 | 285 | New Orleans Saints | Hall, DavidDavid Hall | WR | Missouri–Rolla | MIAA | |
| 11 | 286 | Chicago Bears | Wright, BobBob Wright | OT | Cincinnati | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 11 | 287 | Cleveland Browns | Poeschl, RandyRandy Poeschl | DE | Nebraska | Big Eight | |
| 11 | 288 | New York Jets | Danny Sanders | QB | Carson–Newman | SAC | |
| 11 | 289 | Washington Redskins | Monte Coleman | LB | Central Arkansas | Arkansas | |
| 11 | 290 | Green Bay Packers | Thorson, MarkMark Thorson | DB | Ottawa (KS) | HAAC | |
| 11 | 291 | Minnesota Vikings | Nelson, BrianBrian Nelson | WR | Texas Tech | SWC | |
| 11 | 292 | Atlanta Falcons | Leer, BillBill Leer | C | Colorado State | WAC | |
| 11 | 293 | Seattle Seahawks | Hinesly, JimJim Hinesly | OG | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 294 | Oakland Raiders | Bruce Davis | OT | UCLA | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 295 | San Diego Chargers | Dave Rader | QB | Tulsa | MVC | |
| 11 | 296 | Philadelphia Eagles | Al Chesley | LB | Pittsburgh | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 11 | 297 | Denver Broncos | Zach Dixon | RB | Temple | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 11 | 298 | Houston Oilers | Taylor, MikeMike Taylor | OT | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 11 | 299 | Miami Dolphins | Blanton, MikeMike Blanton | DE | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 11 | 300 | Washington Redskins | Hall, TonyTony Hall | WR | Knoxville | SIAC | |
| 11 | 301 | Los Angeles Rams | Deremus, JesseJesse Deremus | DT | Tennessee State | Ind. | |
| 11 | 302 | Detroit Lions | Cole, EddieEddie Cole | LB | Ole Miss | SEC | |
| 11 | 303 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Moore, CharlieCharlie Moore | C | Wichita State | MVC | |
| 12 | 304 | Cincinnati Bengals | Jim Browner | DB | Notre Dame | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 12 | 305 | Kansas City Chiefs | Michael Forrest | RB | Arkansas | SWC | |
| 12 | 306 | Baltimore Colts | Green, CharlieCharlie Green | WR | Kansas State | Big Eight | |
| 12 | 307 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | David Logan $^†$ | DT | Pittsburgh | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 12 | 308 | Buffalo Bills | Harris, MikeMike Harris | RB | Arizona State | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 309 | St. Louis Cardinals | McBride, RickRick McBride | LB | Georgia | SEC | |
| 12 | 310 | New York Giants | Gillespie, TimTim Gillespie | OG | NC State | ACC | |
| 12 | 311 | New Orleans Saints | Finch, KelseyKelsey Finch | RB | Tennessee | SEC | |
| 12 | 312 | Chicago Bears | Dave Becker | DB | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 313 | Detroit Lions | Forster, BobBob Forster | C | Brown | Ivy | |
| 12 | 314 | New York Jets | Paul Darby | WR | Southwest Texas State | LSC | |
| 12 | 315 | Cleveland Browns | Methvin, DewittDewitt Methvin | C | Tulane | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 12 | 316 | Oakland Raiders | Abernathy, DirkDirk Abernathy | DB | Bowling Green | MAC | |
| 12 | 317 | Minnesota Vikings | Stephens, DavidDavid Stephens | LB | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 12 | 318 | Green Bay Packers | Moats, BillBill Moats | P | South Dakota | NCC | |
| 12 | 319 | Seattle Seahawks | Jeff Moore | RB | Jackson State | SWAC | |
| 12 | 320 | Oakland Raiders | Reggie Kinlaw | DT | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 12 | 321 | San Diego Chargers | Frank Duncan | DB | San Francisco State | FWC | |
| 12 | 322 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ed Smith | LB | Vanderbilt | SEC | |
| 12 | 323 | Atlanta Falcons | Walker, StuartStuart Walker | LB | Colorado | Big Eight | |
| 12 | 324 | Houston Oilers | Wayne Wilson | RB | Shepherd | WVIAC | |
| 12 | 325 | Denver Broncos | Dave Jacobs | K | Syracuse | Ind. (I-A) | |
| 12 | 326 | Detroit Lions | Sweeney, BrianBrian Sweeney | WR | Texas A&I | LSC | |
| 12 | 327 | Miami Dolphins | Fortner, LarryLarry Fortner | QB | Miami (OH) | MAC | |
| 12 | 328 | Los Angeles Rams | Drew Hill $^†$ | WR | Georgia Tech | Ind. | |
| 12 | 329 | Dallas Cowboys | Quentin Lowry | LB | Youngstown State | MCAA | |
| 12 | 330 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Almond, MikeMike Almond | WR | Northwestern State | Ind. (I-AA) | |

## Supplemental draft

| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes |
| 6 | | Buffalo Bills | Stewart, RodRod Stewart | RB | Kentucky | SEC | |

## Hall of Famers

* Kellen Winslow, tight end from Missouri, taken 1st round 13th overall by San Diego Chargers
    Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1995.
* Joe Montana, quarterback from Notre Dame, taken 3rd round 82nd overall by San Francisco 49ers
    Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2000.
* Dan Hampton, defensive tackle from Arkansas, taken 1st round 4th overall by Chicago Bears
    Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2002.
* Bill Cowher, linebacker from North Carolina State, undrafted and signed by Philadelphia Eagles
    Inducted: For his Coaching achievements Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

## Notable undrafted players

| † | = Pro Bowler | $^‡$ | Hall of Famer |
| Original NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Putt Choate | LB | SMU | SWC |
| Atlanta Falcons | Frank Garcia | P | Arizona State | Pac-10 |
| Atlanta Falcons | Russ Mikeska | TE | Texas A&M | SWC |
| Atlanta Falcons | Don Patterson | CB | Georgia Tech | Ind. |
| Buffalo Bills | Chris Keating | LB | Maine | Yankee |
| Buffalo Bills | Jeff Knapple | QB | Northern Colorado | Ind. (Div. II) |
| Cleveland Browns | Dino Hall | RB | Glassboro State | NJSAC |
| Dallas Cowboys | Adger Armstrong | FB | Texas A&M | SWC |
| Dallas Cowboys | Steve Wilson | CB | Howard | MEAC |
| Denver Broncos | James Harrell | LB | Florida | SEC |
| Denver Broncos | Jim Ryan | LB | William & Mary | Ind. (I-A) |
| Denver Broncos | Wylie Turner | CB | Angelo State | LSC |
| Denver Broncos | Steve Watson $^†$ | WR | Temple | Ind. (I-A) |
| Detroit Lions | John Arnold | WR | Wyoming | WAC |
| Green Bay Packers | Bobby Kimball | WR | Oklahoma | Big Eight |
| Kansas City Chiefs | M. L. Carter | CB | San Jose State | PCAA |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Steve Gaunty | WR | Northern Colorado | Ind. (Div. II) |
| Los Angeles Rams | Ivory Sully | S | Delaware | Ind. (Div. II) |
| Miami Dolphins | Cleveland Green | OT | Southern | SWAC |
| Miami Dolphins | Joel Williams | LB | Wisconsin–La Crosse | WSUC |
| Minnesota Vikings | Douglas Cunningham | WR | Rice | SWC |
| Minnesota Vikings | Keith Nord | S | St. Cloud State | NIC |
| Minnesota Vikings | Tony Norman | DE | Iowa State | Big Eight |
| New England Patriots | Mark Buben | DE | Tufts | N/A |
| New England Patriots | Ken Talton | RB | Cornell | Ivy |
| New Orleans Saints | Vickey Ray Anderson | RB | Oklahoma | Big Eight |
| New York Giants | Saladin Martin | CB | San Diego State | WAC |
| New York Giants | Joe McLaughlin | LB | UMass | Yankee |
| New York Jets | Woody Bennett | RB | Miami | Ind. (I-A) |
| New York Jets | Mike McKibben | LB | Kent State | MAC |
| Oakland Raiders | Joe Bell | DE | Norfolk State | CIAA |
| Oakland Raiders | Rufus Bess | CB | South Carolina State | MEAC |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Bill Cowher$^‡$ | LB | NC State | ACC |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Steve Kenney | OG | Clemson | ACC |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Al Latimer | CB | Clemson | ACC |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Anthony Anderson | RB | Temple | Ind. (I-A) |
| San Francisco 49ers | Dan Melville | P | California | Pac-10 |
| Seattle Seahawks | Mark Stevenson | OG/C | Western Illinois | MCAA |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Chris Garlich | LB | Missouri | Big Eight |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Jeff Lee | WR | Nebraska | Big Eight |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Leo Lewis | WR | Missouri | Big Eight |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Mike Loyd | QB | Missouri Southern | CSIC |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | George Yarno | OG | Washington State | Pac-10 |
| Washington Redskins | Neal Olkewicz | LB | Maryland | ACC |
| Washington Redskins | Ray Waddy | CB | Texas A&I | LSC |